


Dessert Tray

by notenoughtogivebread



Series: Klaine Advent 2014 [4]
Category: Glee
Genre: Break Up, Other, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2014-12-05
Packaged: 2018-04-10 20:51:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4407257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notenoughtogivebread/pseuds/notenoughtogivebread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Klaine Advent 2014. Blaine wants to help Tina plan the Sadie Hawkins dance, but he's not sure he'll make it through this afternoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dessert Tray

“Blainey, you said you’d help! Don’t you want the dance to be a success?”

“I do, I do, Tina. And you know it’s already coming together so beautifully. I like the Winter Wonderland theme. It’s just—do we really need to test ALL of these?”

They were sitting at the tiny table crammed into the front window of Desserts and Things, Lima’s “Première Bakeria and Catering Hub,” as the sign said. There wasn’t room on the table for even the tiniest notebook, so he was balancing one on his right leg; a small plate for the samples he was testing teetered on his left knee. He had already tried the chocolate-dipped marshmallows, and the even sweeter pink ones. And the tiny lemon lime tortes. And the coconut cream tartlets. And probably three different carrot cake recipes—and, oh, God, _more._

And he had dutifully taken notes on each of these, filling in his ratings chart meticulously. He was trying to flip to a new page to record his opinion of the coconut cream—a definite thumbs up, though that might just be because it was a break from sour cream icing—while trying to keep the snack plate from spilling its contents. This had seemed like a lark when Tina suggested it to him, but they had been here for almost an hour, and it looked like there was no end in sight. Worse, it was a Wednesday, and Mama always tried out new recipes on him (and the dogs) on Wednesdays. He would not be able to beg off with a tummyache, not without hurting Mama’s feelings. So he eyed the tray of new samples the overworked catering manager held for Tina with something close to despair.

Tina paused, the tongs hovering over the ricotta balls, unable to choose between having him test them next or the banana cream pudding. “You’re wimping out already? How will we know that we’ve picked the perfect dessert for the dance if we don’t try all of them?” She sat back and considered. “Look, would it help if we tried only the white desserts? They would fit with the snow theme…and that would eliminate like three quarters of these.”

“But there’s still, like,” he groaned as he craned forward to count. “Oh, like _10_ more. _Tina.”_

“Don’t push it, Anderson. You owe me.”

“Hey, no fair. Anyway, this would have been a better job for Sam. You know he’s like a bottomless pit. And at least on him, all these sweets won’t go right to his belly.” He looked down at his own waist as though expecting it to have grown in size since he sat down.

“You know he doesn’t have as discerning a palate as you, Blainey-Days. And I can’t believe you would accuse me of fattening you up. You know I think you’re delicious just the way you are.” Her well-sculpted eyebrow arched as she looked him up and down, teasing. He squirmed under her scrutiny.

“Well, then. If not Sam, what about you? Why can’t _you_ test some?”

“Blaine! I need to fit into that dress, and it has a _very_ unforgiving waistline. I can’t risk it. You can always just buy a looser pair of pants.”

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “There is nothing JUST about new trousers, Tina Cohen-Chang. They have to be tailored. Kurt says…”

“Oh, no. We are _not_ going there. We are not spoiling this da—this outing with talk of your ex.”

Blaine didn’t know what to say to that. He thought they had gotten past the Tina Trying to Date Blaine chapter of their story. And, honestly, how was he supposed to get over Kurt like they all said if he couldn’t just talk _normally_ about him? “We’re friends, Tina. Just friends. Like you and I are friends. Like you and he are friends. Besides, you were his friend first.”

“Some friend,” she sniffed. “He didn’t answer one of my texts when I was so swamped with the costuming for _Grease._ I could have used his advice.”

Blaine tried to think back to that time, tried to remember if she complained then about Kurt. That whole month or so was just a black hole of NO in his memory. “I think—I think he was just really sad. You _know_ he would have helped if he could.”

“Oh, like he helped you with your campaign for president?”

He rocked back as though she had slapped him; chastened, she balanced the full plate on the edge of the table, let her hair fall forward to cover her face, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Sorry. It’s just…a lot of people were sad. School sucked this fall.”

She couldn’t bring herself to look up, couldn’t let him see just how lonesome remembering made her feel, how it all brought back how betrayed she’d been by what a letdown senior year was. But he knew, and his voice, though sad, was gentle.

“It did. But, you know, we’re turning it around. This dance, and the Secret Society—we’re making a difference at McKinley, even if Glee Club is –smaller than it was.”

“Do you really believe that?” She looked up then, her dark eyes intent on his.

“Oh, Teens. Yes.” He stood, carefully placing his plate and notebook on his chair and crossed to squat in front of her and take her hands.

“You ARE Asian Persuasion. And you are a powerful, loving woman. And this is going to be the best dance ever.” He grinned then. “But I can’t face another plate of those sweets, not without some coffee, at least.”

“You know Madame Puddifoot’s coffee’s not the best,” Tina said, side-eying the coffee station in the back corner.

“Well, how about some nice, palate-cleansing Red Zinger instead?” he asked, getting to his feet. “Wait, does that make you Cho Chang?”

“And you can be Harry. But I promise not to sob through the rest of the afternoon.”

“Deal.”

She gazed after him as he crossed the room, loving him and his neat little body—God, that delicious butt. He was her Harry, a hero, even if someone else would be his Ginny. And he was right; things were finally turning around for them. Finn had rallied the kids, and Glee Club was changing, in a good way, she thought. Who needed neglectful ex-boyfriends who didn’t appreciate how amazing you were or all that you did to get them into the school of their dreams, anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know. The point of view shifts all over the place. This was an exercise in trying to pin down Tina's voice (and get inside their mixed-up heads at a mixed-up time for them).


End file.
